Protector for the front sights of shoulder-firearms.



. TJC. JOHNSON. PROTECTOR FOR THE FRONT SIGHTS OF SHOULDER-FIREARMS. ".AP PL IQATION FI LED oc r.z|.1s14. """l- 1,162,367, Patented Nov. 30, 1915'.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, *OF NEW HAVEN. CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO.,OF NEWHAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

PROTECTOR FOR FRONT SIGHTS OF SHOULDER-FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnte 1 N 3() 191,1

Application filed October 21, 1814; Serial No. 867,736.

' talren in connection with the accompanying tector.

on an enlarged scale on the line a-b of drawings and the charactersof reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and ex-' act description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent in- Figurel a broken view in side elevation ofthe muzzle-end of a gun-barrel having applied to it one form which my improved front-si ht protector may assume. Fig. 2 a view thereof in front elevation. Fig. 3 a plan view with the protector removed. Fig. I a. detached perspective view of the pro- Fig. 5 a view in transverse section Fig. 1. Fig. 6 a detached view in front elevation of the sight. Fig. 7 a view in front elevation of a gun-barrel having applied to it one of the modified forms which my improved front-sight protector may assume. Fig. 8 a detached perspective view of the modified form of protector shown in the preceding figure.

, My 'nvention relates to an improved protector for the front-sights of shoulder firearms, the object being to produce a. simple, convenient, durable and effective device of the character described.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a protector for the front-sights of shoulder firearms, the said protector having certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed? out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, the resilient depending arms- 2 of my improved guard are formed. with "alined rectangular locking-openings 3 adapting the arms to be engaged with retaining-lugs 4 located at the respective ends of a transverse, dovetail rib 5' formed integral with the lower end of a sight-body 6 having a vertical slot 7 in which a thin sightdo 8 is secured by a pin 9. The locking- .enings 3 are exactly adapted in size to retainingdugs 4: so that hen the guard. 15 applied, it will be firmly held against displacement in any direction, but will still becapablc of being removed with the proper appliance. The outer upper corners of the lugs 1. are formed with bevels 10 for spreading the arms 5 apart preparatory to their locking engagement with the lugs 4 from which they are disengaged with so much difficulty that the protector is, when in use, firmly held in place against dislodgment or movement in any direction. The upper ends of the arms 2 are united by a substantially circular loop 11 which encircles the blade 8 and protects the same against any injury tending to impair the accuracy of the firing of the arm. The lower ends of the arms 2 are bowed outwardly as at 1 2 to clasp the gun-barrel 13 which is formed near its muzzle-end with an integral sight-base 14 the top of which is intersected by a transverse undercut dovetail slot 15 for the reception of the dove-tail rib 5 which is driven into it at which time the metal of the base may be somewhat stretched. In order that this stretching may not distort the barrel, the base is formed, as shown, with two oppositely located longitudinally arranged displacement-grooves 16 which mounting the sight in the sight-base it may be necessary to move the transverse rib 5 laterally in the transverse slot 15 for which reason the body 6' must be made somewhat narrower in width than the width of the sight-base 14. To provide for the lateral adjustment of the sight,-spaces 18 must be left between the same and the upper ends of the arms 2 of the protector. In order that light passing through these compensation spaces may not confuse the marksman, the arms 2 are formed upon their rear edges and near their upper ends with binders or win s 19 closing the openings 18.

ll/f improved protector being made of a sing e piece of resilient sheet-metal and sprung over the sight and sight-base for the registration of locking-openings in its arms with locking-lugs upon th sight body, issimple, durable and convenient. When once in place the] protector will not be lodged in any ordinary use of the arm.

In the modified construction shown by Figs. 7 and 8, the lower ends of the arms 2 a're'cut off and tlilrnnfl inward to form fingers 20 which are entered into the displacement-grooves 16.

I claim:

In a. shoulder firearm, the combination with the barrel thereof 'of a sight base lo- .cated upon the mnzzle-end of the said barre] and formed with a transverse slot, a

front sight having a tran sverse rib adapted to enter the said slot and extending at its ends to form projectingretaining-lugs and j a sight-protector comprising a loop, and two dependlng arms furnished with lockin cross-section, whereby ling-openings adapted to fit snugly over the said retaining-lugs to which they correspond firmly held in any direction.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in'the presence of two subscrib- THOMAS c. JoHNsoN'P place against deflection in mg witnesses.

Witnesses C. L. VVEEn, F. C. EARLE.

the protector is 15 

